Artful Jaunts

Contemporary Art, Architecture, and Landscape in Marfa

You are cordially invited to join Stephanie Fox Knappe, Senior Curator, Global Modern/Contemporary & American Art at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Marfa from September 4th through September 7th. This trip will provide an insider view into this small West Texas town that artist Donald Judd put on the map. From art and delicious food to expansive landscape, you can expect the ultimate Marfa experience. Popularly identified with Minimalism, although he hated the term, Donald Judd was one of the best-known American artists of the 1960s. He also placed the humble city of Marfa, Texas on the art world map. Judd moved to Marfa in 1971 from his home in New York City to explore his interest in installing his artwork how he wanted and in spaces he had reclaimed and restored. The Nelson-Atkins invites you to experience this unique city, one of the top "wishlist" art destinations in the United States, and to depart with your impression of contemporary art changed forever.

During the trip, there will be curated visits to all of the essential Marfa art sites like the Judd Foundation, which is dedicated to preserving Donald Judd's spaces, archives, and legacy in both Marfa and New York, and the Chinati Foundation, established in 1989 by Judd. Chinati houses permanent large-scale works by artists and friends of Judd, like Robert Chamberlain, Dan Flavin, and Claus Oldenberg. Along with a full collection tour of Chinati, patrons will also experience a special sunrise experience at Robert Irwin's untitled (dawn to dusk). We will hear from influential gallery directors at Ballroom Marfa, an internationally recognized non-collecting contemporary art museum established in 2003, and Galerie Max Hetzler, which opened an impressive new space in Marfa in 2022. The trip will also include a private visit to the home of a significant local collector, Jenny Laird, and to the studios of artists, Magalie Guérin, Christopher Wool and Charline von Heyl.

Patrons will check into their room at the Hotel Saint George, Marfa's newest hotel designed by the Houston architect Carlos Jiménez. It combines wooden beams and columns from the original 1880 hotel with a modernist look echoing the serialism of Judd. Their strong art collection is on display throughout the hotel and features over 300 original works by contemporary artists such as Mark Flood, Jeff Elrod, and Christopher Wool. Dining options in Marfa are small but mighty, and we will sample from the best in the town. From sipping on Sotol and enjoying burritos from local go-to spots to experiencing Cochineal, a restaurant that has been providing unique and delicious fine dining in the small town since 2017. Pioneered by Executive Chef Alexandra Gates, the restaurant is a three-time James Beard semifinalist and dining destination in West Texas.

This trip is limited to 24 guests and your booking is requested as soon as possible. Reservations will be processed on a first come, first served basis, and a minimum of 16 guests is required to operate this trip.

All programming may change and is subject to availability of hosts, collectors and artists.

If you have any questions about this program your Nelson-Atkins contact is Sara Hale (shale@nelson-atkins.org or 816-751-0426). Your Artful contact is Latasha Thomas, Customer Experience Manager at Artful,(latasha@artfuljaunts.com or 781-658-2270). Latasha is available to help with any questions during the registration process.

Book Marfa

Daily Itinerary

Price & Inclusions

Day 1

Thursday, September 4

	Arrivals Individual arrivals at airport in the late morning and midday
	Transfer to Marfa A three hour drive to Marfa with a boxed lunch on the bus
	Art Destination A stop to see Prada Marfa, a permanent art installation just outside of Marfa
	Hotel Check-In Guests check-in to the Hotel Saint George
	Dinner Dinner and cocktails at a local Sotol distillery, Marfa Spirit Co.

"Prada Marfa" (2005) is a site specific, permanent land art project by artists Elmgreen & Dragset. The project was commissioned by Art Production Fund and Ballroom Marfa. Modeled after a Prada boutique, the sculpture houses luxury goods from the famed brand's fall 2005 collection of bags and shoes. Located on a barren stretch of highway one mile west of Valentine, Texas, the artwork serves as a commentary on consumerism and the absurdity of luxury in desolate settings. It will never function as a place of commerce, since the door is always locked. Elmgreen & Dragset are an artist duo from Denmark and Norway. They have collaborated since 1995, creating works with subversive humor and wit that question identity and belonging in social, cultural, and political structures.

Day 2

Friday, September 5

	Sunrise Viewing Private sunrise tour of Robert Irwin's untitled (dawn to dusk)
	Chinati Art Foundation A private tour of the full collection
	Lunch Catered lunch at Chinati Foundation
	Chinati Art Foundation Tour of the full collection continues after lunch
	Artist Studio A visit to Magalie Guérin's studio
	Maintenant Sunset visit to Maintenant Marfa
	Galerie Max Hetzler Private tour and cocktails
	Dinner Dinner at L'Aventure, the Hotel Saint George restaurant

In 1978, with financial support from the Dia Art Foundation, Donald Judd bought 340 acres of land that formerly belonged to Fort D.A. Russell and had been abandoned since after World War II. Judd, a passionate land and building conservationist, set to work restoring the military buildings on site. It was his goal to bring art, architecture, and land together to form a coherent whole. Along with his own installations, he invited artists and friends like Dan Flavin, Robert Chamberlain, Carl Andre, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen to realize large scale, permanently installed works in the buildings and on the land. The Foundation opened to the public in 1986 as an artist-created and artist-centered museum in which art, buildings, and the natural environment form a unity.

Day 3

Saturday, September 6

	Judd Foundation A privately guided tour through the full collection
	Lunch Lunch at a local restaurant
	Ballroom Marfa Private introduction and walk-through
	Artist Studio Visit to Christopher Wool's home and studio
	Private Collection Visit to Jenny Laird's home
	Free Time Time to shop, explore, or sit by the pool
	Dinner Closing dinner at Cochineal

"The space surrounding my work is crucial to it. As much thought has gone into the installation as into a piece itself." After spending the 1950s and 60s living and woking in New York as an artist and art critic, Donald Judd began to feel stifled by limitations in the art world, both with his creative autonomy and with the lack of space in the city to install and exhibit large works. When he found Marfa in 1971, he bought numerous abandoned properties around the small town and began turning them into living and working spaces. He permanently installed his own pieces in almost each space, fulfilling his intent for creative autonomy. Marfa also gave him the space to realize projects of a certain scale that he had not beena able to execute in New York. Ultimately, Judd wanted to live with his work and to preserve his intention behind the installation of each piece, and The Judd Foundation carries on this vision in both Marfa and New York with his house, library, personal art collection, permanently installed works, and extensive archives.

Day 4

Saturday, September 7

Transfer to El Paso

Bus drives group to El Paso International Airport

Departures

Individual departures

Trip Price

$4,413 per person for double occupancy
$5,083 per person for single occupancy

Inclusions

Accommodations at Hotel Saint George for 3 nights; hotel room extensions and upgrades available by request
Entry to all studios, museums, galleries, and collections
Lunches, dinners, and cocktail programs for the duration of the trip
Cocktails, beer, and wine included with lunch and dinner
All transportation during the trip
All fees and gratuities, including baggage porter services
The Artful app - your electronic itinerary with information about all artists, collectors, museums, galleries and special guests

Exclusions

Breakfasts, except for one morning
Airfare is not included in programming
Hotel extras (minibar, laundry, telephone, and internet fees)

Payment and Cancellation Policy

50% of trip price is due with registration; 50% is due sixty days prior to the trip's start date
This trip is limited to 24 guests and a minimum of 16 guests is required to operate this trip.
No refund will be provided for cancellations within sixty days of the trip's start date. If the museum has another patron to fill a spot a substitution will be allowed. After the trip has commenced, no refunds are available, even if the client does not partake in all of the trip's activities or leaves the trip early. We highly recommend trip insurance which is offered when booking.